I knew that something changed, but I didn't know what. Thanks Frank for the article.

About something changed on Medium, I saw it changing at the beginning of the year. Something happened that my earnings started to reduce until it reached one fourth of what it was before. (Here the article explaining some details).

And doing a little research for that article, I discovered that my problem was not mine alone. I also discovered editors from publications screaming that they started to receive tons of crap generated by AI that sunk them into the reading of hundreds of articles weekly just to find one that was worthy. (I also have some details in my profile).

And, like that, something that changed is that before new year, I often received requests from editors to publish my articles in their publications, and that stopped completely. I guess that they are too busy discarding crap. I only received from one publication, I accepted, and it was a mistake, they destroyed the content of the article to add a ton of publicity for their product.

So, since then, I am almost not receiving any request, but I also do not trust publishing into a publication. If they can destroy your article completely, and Medium does not give you the means to recover your original work, it's too big risk for the sweat spent at each article.

Of course I tried to publish at some of the old publications that asked me previously, and with some pieces -for my understanding, and readers too- as good as others that I published in the past. But they rejected them with just a "Thanks, but I'll pass this time".

So... it seems no more publications for me.

And, if it is true that publishers can decide you can get profit, and receive the reward for their job, and who didn't, it is not strange that they will receive a ton of crap. Anyone wanting a minimal earning will submit their articles.

By the way, did you have notices that there was a kind of attack on Medium with hundreds, or even thousands of users ¿bots? becoming followers just in a few months? (from March to July I observed a massive increase in followers, around x20 the normal rate, but they were completely inactive users)

Furthermore, did anyone notice the increment of applause from people that produce one article almost every hour, almost 24 hours a day?

Probably I did notice it more because I am a small author, writing just for pleasure, and aim to share great ideas, so I have fewer followers, but more active, and for some of them, I care them a lot :-)